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Balducci's
95 Sherwood Ave., Farmingdale, NY


Pamela of Elk Grove, CA, writes (6/16/01):
We received a gift certificate from a friend for a Balducci Lobster Pot that comes with a ready to cook dinner for four of live Maine lobasters as a Christmas gift in December 2000. I have tried numerous times to order the lobster dinner. The order phone number, customer service phone number and website are not working. Has this company gone out of business? If so, how do we go about being reimbursed for the cost of the gift? This individual purchased at least four, if not more, gift certfificates from this same company for Christmas gifts. One couple never received the certificate, the others have not been able to order the dinner.

Balducci's has indeed closed its Web site and exited the online business. While there may still be stores operating in New York, we suspect the online venture was a separate company and it's likely Pamela and the other certificate holders are out of luck.

On Dec. 26, 2000, Kathy of New City, NY, wrote:
Order placed on 12/17, delivery guaranteed by 12/20. Customer Service remains busy as of this e-mail. Order never received. E-mails never responded to. When I spoke to a female in the ordering dept., I was told all shipments were guaranteed delivery by 12/23. NOTHING ARRIVED.

One order going to an uncle living alone in Florida, one order going to very special friends. The whole experience has been very upsetting.

I will not pay for this. If Balducci's could not deliver on time they had the obligation to let consumers know this. I would have taken my business elsewhere. I hope to get some satisfaction from you people.

A few days later, Kathy sent us this follow-up:

Still unable to speak to a human being, gifts NEVER DELIVERED. Balducci's offering a 10 percent gratuity on the next order, when in their catalog they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. How can they get away with this?

HOLIDAY GIFTS NEVER RECEIVED. IT WAS VERY SAD AND UPSETTING. BALDUCCI'S DOES NOT CARE. HOW CAN CONSUMERS BE TREATED LIKE THIS?

Answer: They can't. Kathy should send a certified, return-receipt-requested letter to Balducci's noting their failure to deliver and citing their 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. If they don't pay up, she should go to Small Claims Court to collect. She can also complain to the Federal Trade Commission.

We sent Kathy's first complaint to Balducci's and on Jan. 5, 2001 got the following reply:

Due to the overwhelming volume of emails we have received this holiday season we have encountered some system challenges that in some cases, may have resulted in us being unable to recover pertinent information necessary to respond to your query.

If you are one of the customers to whom we owe a response, contact us at the appropriate hotline email address below and we will get back as quickly as possible.

In order to expedite your query, please provide any or all of the following information: order #, customer #, last name, phone, full billing address (zip code included).

mailto:holidaystatus@balduccis.com Order Status questions: delivery questions for orders due to arrive 12/1/00 though 12/31/00

mailto:holidayreceived@balduccis.com Order received, but have question regarding order, damaged goods received or partial order received.

mailto:holidaychange@balduccis.com Change of order status: order requires a change including cancel, change of item or change of address.

We apologize for any frustrations this may have caused you. Thank your for your patience in this matter.

Sincerely,

Balduccis.com Customer Service

We admit it. We're floored. Balducci's has brought voice-mail to email. It doesn't get much worse than this.

Final Follow-up from Kathy (1/5):
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVICE. I FOUND OUT ON 1/04 MY 2 ORDERS WERE NEVER ACTIVATED IN THE BALDUCCI COMPUTER SYSTEM- MY CREDIT CARD WAS NOT CHARGED, THEREFORE BALDUCCIS REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING FOR ME EXCEPT RE-SHIP THE ORDER AND THEY WILL PAY THE SHIPPING CHARGES. OBVIOUSLY, I DECLINED. WHAT A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE!





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